It is, of course, generally known that individuals, specifically, children, enjoy interacting with a toy animal. Indeed, toy animals have been highly marketable for a long time and are popular today as shown by ongoing product sales in the toy industry.
Generally, children love animals, and especially toy-themed versions of animals including: dogs, cats, teddy bears, horses, birds, reptiles, alligators, turtles, lady bugs, farm animals, forest animals, jungle animals, ocean life and dinosaurs.
Additionally, children also enjoy imitating their parents, siblings and friends that care for and walk real pet animals. Thus, pet analogues, such as toy animals, are very popular, again evidenced by the product sales in the toy industry.
Toy animals exist in many physical manifestations, such as soft plush, inflatable vinyl, rubberized foam, flexible vinyl, semi rigid plastic, hard plastic, wood, metal and combinations thereof. Much innovation has been developed to enhance play experience with toy animals to simulate many living characteristics such as walking, running, hopping, vibrating, breathing, talking, eating, urinating, sleeping and numerous sound effects.
One characteristic of toy animals that is popular among children is locomotion. Specifically, toy animals more effectively simulate live animals when they include a form of movement. There have been numerous product versions of “walking animals” that attempt to mimic live animals. Children specifically enjoy toy animals that simulate a pet that is walked on a leash. Toy animals with articulating features that simulate some type of movement such as walking or running originally were mechanical in design. For example, some examples of toy animals that have locomotive characteristics include: child activated pull strings, keys and spring wound coils. Some toy animals would merely require the child to set the toy animal on an inclined plane, and the toy animals would moves, typically with wheels, down the incline.
However over the last 30 years with advancements in electronics many toy animals integrate motorized robotic technology. Therefore, there are two general categories walking toy animals: 1) mechanical versions without electronics; and 2) electronic versions incorporating batteries, motors, sensors, integrated circuits and robotics. Electronic versions of toy animals tend to be expensive, difficult to manufacture, and tend to not replicate accurate animal movement. Mechanical versions may also suffer from being overly complicated, difficult to manufacture, and prone to break when used by children.
A need, therefore, exists for relatively simple mechanical toy animals for individuals, namely children. Moreover, a need exists for toy animals that effectively and accurately mimic animal movement.
In addition, a need exists for toy animals that simulate animal movement that can be utilized by children without being fragile and prone to break. Further, a need exists for toy animals that are utilized by children who wish to emulate adults by taking their toy animals for walks.
And, a need exists for toy animals having internal mechanisms that effectively simulate animal movement so as to create an illusion in users that the toy animal is real. Still further, a need exists for toy animals that may be easily controlled by a user when walking the same on a simulated leash.